Monday, January 9, 2012

Vienna: Much more than a little Sausage

Ian & I were excited to return to Vienna as we have been there several time and indulged in the cafe culture, oohhhed & ahhed at Stephansdom, and ate and ate and ate. But returning with the parents this time, we realized we actually hadn't spent much time in this Austrian wonder. In our usual whirlwind fashion of travel we had been here on our way elsewhere, but only actually stayed for 1 or 2 nights. This was an egregious error that needed correcting and we couldn't have been happier with our latest experience.

As always, what follows are our highly unscientific, capricious ratings of "The City of Dreams" (home to Sigmund Freud).

Vienna Ratings:

Ratings will be done in schnitzel. I know- too easy - but how could we not?

Transportation in Vienna

cheryl5 schnitzel - We still had our rental car – but no need to use it in Vienna. We could easily walk most places from our downtown hotel. It was also convenient to ride the trains when we wanted to, thanx to our ever-faithful navigator, Ian! I wanted to ride the Ring to get an overall view of the city – but we got too busy to make time for that.

Dave5 schnitzel - Didn’t even need to use much transportation. Everything was within walking distance.

Ian 4 schnitzel - It's not necessary to use the transportation here as the Altstadt is very walkable. Got a daypass & enjoyed the UBahn & tram system. Handy for getting to places out of the center of the city such as Schloss Schönbrunn. Coming from Berlin, the metro system was super spic 'n span.

ebe

4.5 schnitzel - Getting into the city and around could really not be easier. We drove in with my parents craning their necks to see all the very tall & very grand buildings and easily located a space near the hotel. We walked, took UBahn, and trams. There is also a ring tram around the city that we planned to take a load off and check out the city, but never quite got to. Transport - piece of Torte.

Accommodations in Vienna

cheryl4 schnitzel -We found this hotel online and it had some reviews that were less than glowing, however, the price was very good for Vienna which can easily run over $300 per night for a small hotel room. The hotel was quaint, easily located, paid for our parking during our stay and gave me one of those “can-only-happen-in-Europe-experiences” that seemed to happen

View from our room

quite a bit in Vienna. We had a set of French doors out to a balcony from our 3rd floor room that caused us all to have an insane happy dance. There were cherub statues on the side of our building and across the street was the Votive Cathedral – which was grand and imposing. We could look up and down a main street and one side street and the views were all of what a downtown city view should be, people strolling, trams running, honking, cars, music playing – just fascinating. On the other hand – there was some remodeling going on, the bathroom definitely needed some updating, breakfast was only okay (but filling), the room needed some repairs – but the view made it all worthwhile. If I were fortunate enough to return to Vienna I would try to stay again at the Franz Pension.

Dave4.5 schnitzel - Wonderful – even though it was an older hotel and had some quirks. Just to walkout on your balcony and see a cathedral across the street was fascinating.

Ian 4 schnitzel-

The hotel was in a very old building and had a nice antique feel, even though it was a bit rundown. Decently priced. Absolutely amazing view from our balcony.

Cherub on our balcony

ebe4.5 schnitzel -
That view...I've never had a hotel room with a showstopper like an enormous wrap-around balcony and a cathedral just outside of the window. Awesome.

Location was also superb in walking distance to the Rathaus. Parking is free with a voucher you get from the desk on the weekend (small charge weekdays).

However - we had the pimp room. No other balconies compared to ours. We had 4 people in one room (2 beds) which was a great deal at 100 euro a night. The parents worried about crowding & snoring, but it worked out fine with enough room and wifi in the lobby just off our room.

The place was made-up like a historic estate, but unfortunately a little ragged. Looks they are putting work into vamping it up. We heard other guests complaining about a variety of issues, but didn't really have any ourselves. A big thumbs up for me.

Sights in Vienna

cheryl5 schnitzel - Vienna
is beautiful. That is such an inadequate statement for how
breath-taking it truly is. The buildings are “so European” and so much
more beautiful than anywhere I’ve ever
been. The city reeks of financial security – in a very good way. They
must collect a lot of taxes to keep things so pristine and welcoming.
The castles, cathedrals, restaurants, shops, horse-drawn carriages
(never have I seen so many!!), walkways, fountains, statuary - -
everything is just so
inviting you want to stay and linger and find out more information about
each individual one.
We did see some early Roman ruins from the 4th century. I have been to
many museums and
have seen many historical exhibits – but this one really moved me. It
was apparent that the city had started excavation to build something and
came across the ruins. They preserved them by building a wall around
them and now traffic, both cars and pedestrians, have to navigate around
the ruins, which are now a tourist destination. The Rathaus and theater
area was incredibly beautiful.

Parliament

Dave5+ schnitzel - Amazing! Breath-taking! Had trouble not dropping my jaw all the time as everything was so intricate and beautiful. Could never get tired of just looking around. The detail work on the buildings was incredible.

Ian 4.5 schnitzel -

Few places have so many beautiful historical buildings in such a compact area. We touched a few of the highlights, but there are many more to see. the only drawback is the expensive prices for everything.

Ample architectural eye candy was paired with one of the most wonderful shows I will ever see - the Spanish Riding School. Ian took me here on our last trip through Vienna and while it was magic, it was just this morning work-out. My parents treated us to a full show. My family is notoriously sentimental about animals, especially horses. The Lipizzaner danced, capriole'd, courbette'd, and levade'd across the ring. Don't look at us, we just all have a little something in our eye.

Dining in Vienna

cheryl

3.5 schnitzel -

Vienna was much too wonderful to be expected to have good food, too. However,
we did find great food – it just wasn’t as convenient as we had hoped and our hotel breakfast was a bit ho-hum. We did go to one place that served tiny sandwiches in flavor combinations that were terrific. We also happened upon a place that served schnitzels that were exceptional and as big as the plate. It was very crowded and noisy and we were asked to share our table – and the food was good, but I found the couple they seated with us was more interesting in the long run.

Dave4 schnitzel -

The dessert at the Hotel Roth was incredible. It was expensive, but worth it. Did have trouble finding a place one night.

Ian 3 schnitzel -

No doubt Vienna has great cuisine, but the outlandish prices and table covers distract from the experience. I'll eat that riesen Schnitzel any day, followed by some coffee and cake. Finger sandwiches for lunch aren't bad either.

ebe4 schnitzel - The only bad part about living in Berlin, we always say, is traveling elsewhere where everything seems to cost a fortune. This is especially true in a place like Vienna. Despite that, we dined well in the city of schnitzel.

Starting off with the mandatory kaffee & kuchen (coffee & cake), we eventually made our way back to Trzesniewshi, full of locals and tourists and itsy bitsy delectable sandwiches. Once the haunt of Franz Kafka, the place serves open face bites in a wide variety of spreads like cheese, salami, herring, tomatoes, lobster, and about 20 other combos. Standing room only, you are hustled through the line in which you make your selections. The official motto of the company is Unspeakably good sandwiches, a reference to the Polish name of the founder, which is said to be unpronounceable to most German speakers.

Trzesniewshi

Another memorable spot was Figlmueller. Incredibly busy, they fit us in quickly and we dined on schnitzel literally bigger than our head. I was pleased to find that the best schnitzel I ever had came from here. Though it initially appeared a little more fine dining than we liked with grand wrought iron and elegantly attired waiters, that was quickly dispelled by the hopping mad atmosphere and cacophony of swears and reprimands coming from the kitchen. Who needs a show when you have some crazy Austrians to entertain you?

Overall

cheryl5 schnitzel -
Vienna is a destination spot and if I were to venture to Europe again, I would like to revisit Vienna. It is clear why the citizens and tourists both adore it. The drawback, a major one – is the cost. Vienna is quite expensive. It also is a very large city and we saw primarily one area – and the summer palace. I agree with my husband, the Spanish Riding School, was a ‘Top 10’ of my life highlights that was so completely worth every penny and seeing it with Eryn and Ian was magical.

Dave

5 schntizel -
Vienna is just an incredible place. It is a little bit like being in a fairy tale with so much to see and take in. We needed much more time than we had allotted, or could afford. The Spanish Riding School was awesome and was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. A very well-maintained, pretty city.

Ian 4 schnitzel -

Already having been to Vienna 2 times, I am surprised at how much more there still is to see. Really is a world city and I can't wait to go back...except for the prices.

ebe4.5 schnitzel-
This city still holds the mantle as one of my favorite cities in Europe. While I don't think I could live there, the horses, the food, the loveliness of it all still enchants me.